Gauranga Avatars/Kali

1880–90

Not on view

The print to the right shows a six-armed goddess Gauranga. Her primary two hands hold the flute and make reference to Krishna, while her lower arms hold a walking stick and water pot of a pilgrim. In her up-raised green arms she grasps an arrow and holds a bow.

To the right, the ferocious goddess Kali is shown with her skirt of severed arms and garland of freshly decapitated heads; in her left hands she holds a bloodied sword and a head. She copulates with Shiva who is who shown floating above his own lifeless body (?) Kali’s terrifying nature as a destroyer of demons is emphasized by the skull and thigh bone in the lower right, as well as the flames, wild dogs and a leafless tree in the background.

Artwork Details

Object Information

Overview

Provenance

Exhibition History

Title: Gauranga Avatars/Kali
Date: 1880–90
Culture: India
Medium: Lithograph
Dimensions: Image: 11 1/4 × 15 3/4 in. (28.6 × 40 cm)
Sheet: 11 7/8 × 15 7/8 in. (30.2 × 40.3 cm)
Classification: Prints
Credit Line: Gift of Mark Baron and Elise Boisanté, 2012
Object Number: 2012.523.4
Curatorial Department: Asian Art

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